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Victor Ashe: Knoxville's police review committee was a response to a need 20 years ago

Knoxville News Sentinel
Published 5:00 a.m. ET Sept. 24, 2018

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Tonya Jameson was in Knoxville on Thursday, speaking to the Police Advisory and Review Committee about an incident involving Police Officer Matthew Janish in Jefferson County.
Saul Young/USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee

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Former Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch talks with Tonya Jameson after a meeting of the Police Advisory and Review Committee in July 2017. Jameson complained to the board after being held at gunpoint by a KPD officer while she was changing the license plate to a car she recently purchased.(Photo: SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL, )Buy Photo

Last week, the city celebrated 20 years for PARC (Police Advisory and Review Committee) with Clarence Vaughan, the executive director, leading the activities.

The creation of this entity has quite a history. For several years prior to 1998, there had been calls for creation of a Civilian Review Board for the Police Department. The FOP and various members of the Police Department opposed it. It did not have majority support on City Council. I was mayor then.

While no longer an issue in Knoxville, today this is a major issue in Davidson County (Nashville), where a referendum is pending this November to create such a board.

Four deaths in police custody

The issue in Knoxville picked up steam and support when over a 15-month period, four people died in police custody, three of them African-Americans. The death of Andre Stinson received widespread notice. Community anger and concern over this increased sharply with each death. Public forum at biweekly City Council meetings became long, heavily attended affairs that went past midnight and up to 2 in the morning on more than one occasion.

There were many meetings not only in the mayor's office but in the community. I recognized early on that some movement toward a civilian Review Board had to occur. The question for me became one of strategy and how to get there. Only two members of City Council at the time, Danny Mayfield and Carlene Malone, were openly for the review board. Six of the remaining seven were opposed and one went back and forth.

Bypassing a reluctant City Council

First, I appointed a group chaired by respected attorney Bernard Bernstein to look into whether a review committee (PARC) was needed, and if so, how it should be constituted. Mark Brown, not yet a council member or vice mayor, was vice chair of the committee. Bernstein took his task seriously and reported back after several in-depth meetings that such a committee was needed and suggested how it should be structured. The respect he has across Knoxville gave it credibility.

In a Sept. 14, 1987, photograph, mayoral candidate Victor Ashe canvases a neighborhood two weeks before the primary election. The former state senator was faced a crowded field of nine other contenders including Randy Tyree who was seeking his third term as mayor. (Al Fuchs/News Sentinel) Al Fuchs/News Sentinel Archives, Al Fuchs/News Sentinel

Former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe, now U.S. ambassador to Poland, holds Antena, a Sealyham terrier from Poland, outside Regas Restaurant on Dec. 18. ÒIÕm happy to see a Polish dog living here in Knoxville,Ó he said. News Sentinel Archives,

President George H.W. Bush, right, stands with Mayor Victor Ashe on Feb. 19, 1992, at the Civic Auditorium. "We are proud, Mr. President, that you came here twice during your first term of office and will welcome you back at least twice during your next term," Ashe told the crowd. Bonnie Jo Mount/News Sentinel Archives, KNS Archive

Victor Ashe, U.S. Ambassador to Poland, meets with President George W. Bush Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005, in the Oval Office. The Ambassador was greeted by President Bush shortly before the arrival of Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski to the White House. Paul Morse/News Sentinel Archives,

Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum board member Jenny Jukes and former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe tour the gardens in 2006. Jukes was the last private owner of the historically significant East Knoxville property that was originally established as a plant nursery in 1786. J. Miles Cary, The Knoxville News Sentinel

Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, left, and former Gov. Ned McWherter share a laugh during a groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of the James White Greenway on October 10, 2003. Cathy Clarke/News Sentinel Archives, Knoxville News-Sentinel

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, left, is greeted by Monsignor Xavier Mankel and former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe during a dedication ceremony for the Ladies of Charity's new facility Friday, March 18, 2011 in North Knoxville. The Ladies of Charity focus on emergency assistance for food, clothing, utilities and medicine needs, as well as layettes for newborns. Paul Efird/News Sentinel Archives, Paul Efird/News Sentinel
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Former Knoxville mayor and ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe, left, gets an autograph from journalist and author Todd Purdum, during an event at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The forum focused on the 50 year anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Amy Smotherman Burgess/News Sentinel Archives, Knoxville News Sentinel

Victor Ashe, left, talks with Mount Calvary Baptist Church members Hildrith D. Gillespie and her son Dr. J. Harvey Gillespie after the ground breaking ceremony for Mount Calvary's new sanctuary on Sunday, May 6, 2012. The original sanctuary was destroyed in a fire on December, 6, 2010.
Saul Young/News Sentinel, Saul Young/News Sentinel

Former Ambassador to Poland and former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe congratulates Charlie Daniel as as former Senators Howard Baker and Nancy Kassebaum celebrate the work of the Knoxville News Sentinel cartoonist at the Baker Center on Thursday, May 17, 2012. Amy Smotherman Burgess/News Sentinel Archives, Knoxville News Sentinel

Victor Ashe and attorney Author Seymour Jr. reminisce about growing up in the Melrose and Terrace Ave. area in October 1993. Ashe's childhood home is now the new Baptist Student Center on UT's campus. Steve Morrell/News Sentinel Archives,

Mayor-Elect Bill Haslam, left, with his wife, Crissy, receives a copy of the city charter from Mayor Victor Ashe in 2003 during a news conference Wednesday at Ashe's home on Kingston Pike. The Mayor's wife, Joan, is at right. Paul Efird/News Sentinel Archives, Knoxville News-Sentinel

A News-Sentinel caption writer recorded a milestone in Victor Ashe's political career on Nov. 5, 1974: Hurrah for Mom! Mrs. Robert L. (Martha) Ashe is joined by her sons after winning the Seventh District Senate race as the Republican candidate. Mrs. Ashe ran as a stand-in for her son, Victor, right, after the Supreme Court ruled he didn't meet the age requirement. Her other son, R. Lawrence Ashe Jr., came from Atlanta where he is a lawyer, to help celebrate the occasion. (KNS Archive) News Sentinel Archives, KNS Archive

In an Aug. 6, 1987, photograph, former state senator Victor Ashe, with his wife, Joan, meets the press after filing his petition to run for mayor. Ashe told reporters that addressing the frustrations of firefighters was a priority for him if elected. The News Sentinel reported that Ashe was a veteran of eight political campaigns, losing only to Al Gore in the 1984 U.S. Senate race. (KNS Archive) News Sentinel Archives

In a Sept. 24, 1991, photograph, seeking his second term as mayor, Victor Ashe, with his wife, Joan, and their son, J. Victor, walks to the Tennessee Theatre to meet supporters on primary election night. Michael Patrick/News Sentinel, Michael Patrick/News Sentinel

In a Nov. 5, 1998 photograph, newly elected legislators Tim Burchett , left, and Jamie Hagood attend a luncheon hosted by Mayor Victor Ashe at the City County Building. Political newcomer Hagood was elected to the state house and Rep. Burchett was elevated to state senate. Paul Efird/News Sentinel Archives, Paul Efird/News Sentinel

Mayors of Knoxville, left to right, Daniel Brown, Madeline Rogero, Victor Ashe, Randy Tyree and Bill Haslam, pose for a photo before the inauguration of Rogero at Chilhowee Park on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. City of Knoxville, City of Knoxville

Former mayor and ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe, right, meets the Dalai Lama Monday, July 11, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The meeting occurred at Radio Free Asia where Ashe is chairman of the board. Radio Free Asia/News Sentinel Archives, Radio Free Asia/Special

U.S. Ambassador to Poland and former Mayor of Knoxville, Victor Ashe is greeted by Ron and Julie Humphrey in December 2004 during the dedication ceremony of Victor Ashe Park where a bust of the Ambassador was also unveiled. Saul Young/News Sentinel,

Victor Ashe stands with his mother Martha Ashe during a press conference in an October 13, 1974 photograph. Martha Ashe was running for a state senate seat as a stand-in for her son who would not meet the senate age requirement until his 30th birthday on Jan. 1. News Sentinel Archves, Knoxville News Sentinel

U. S. Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr., left, and state Rep. Victor Ashe confer during a campaign reception on Nov. 3, 1972, at Bearden High School. Ashe was in a race with Mike Rowland for the state's Sixth District seat and Baker was vying with U.S. Rep. Ray Blanton to win a second Senate term. The News-Sentinel noted that Baker shook the hands of 2,000 well-wishers at the reception. News Sentinel Archives, KNS Archive

Art department head Kermit 'Buck' Ewing gives state legislators a tour of art and architecture facilities on April 25, 1975, at the University of Tennessee. Taking part in the walk-through are state Sen. Victor Ashe, and Reps. Mike Rowland, Bill Owen, Sandra Clark, and Ted Ray Miller. News Sentinel Archives, KNS Archive

Sam Furrow, right, Mayor Victor Ashe, and Mel White are among the officials taking a bite out of a 20-foot hot dog to raise money for the United Way campaign on Sept. 23, 1993, at the Whittle Building. News Sentinel Archvies, Margaret Bentlage/News Sentinel

Victor Ashe, center, former mayor of Knoxville and the Ambassador to Poland greets Holocaust survivors Regina, left, and Sam Spiegel during the March of the Living. Joel Gluck who is a orthodontist in Nashville is at right. Gluck grew up in Knoxville. Joe Howell/News Sentinel Archives, Knoxville News Sentinel

Gov. Ned McWherter and Mayor Victor Ashe visit with school children during a ceremony creating the Tennessee Bicentennial Commission June 1, 1992 at Blount Mansion. McWherter, governor from 1987 to 1995, died April 4, 2011 in Nashville at 80. J. Miles Cary/News Sentinel Archives, J. Miles Cary/News Sentinel

While Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe was presiding over a reception honoring the national basketball champions Lady Vols, his son, J. Victor, held by the mayor's wife, Joan, was making friends with Tyler Summitt, who was held by his mother, Lady Vols Coach Pat Summitt. The reception was held April 30, 1991 at Candy Factory at the World's Fair Park.
J. Miles Cary/News Sentinel Archives, J. Miles Cary/News Sentinel

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, and Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka, right, smile as they walk from talks in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005. Visiting one of the United States' most durable allies in Iraq, Rice thanked Poland for placing troops in Iraq early and keeping them there. Czarek Sokolowski/Associated Press, AP

Knoxville City Councilman Gary Underwood, left, and Mayor Victor Ashe braved the snow and cold in November 1991 to plant a Liberty Elm tree during their participation in the program "Rooting For America, A Lide Community Tree Planting Program. Jack Kirkland/News Sentinel Archives,

Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe records memos and observations on the trash and abandoned buildings he sees during one of his forays into city neighborhoods in February 1989. The Mayor says he wants to drive all 900 miles of Knoxville's paved roads to find eyesores and safety hazards. Jack Kirkland/News Sentinel Archives,

Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe and Sue Clancy, Director of Special Events, open a gift basket from the mayor of Columbus, OH, Greg Lashutka in January 1996. The basket pays off a wager between Ashe and Lashutka over the outcome of the 1996 Citrus Bowl. Michael Patrick/News Sentinel,

Host Katie Couric waves to the crowd after interviewing, from left, Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, Knoxville Fire Department Capt. Jim Stephens, and Fire Department of New York City Capt. Stephen Damato during a broadcast of NBC's Today Show March 21, 2002 at Rockefeller Center. The show spotlighted Knoxville's Freedom Engine campaign which raised $950,000 for a new ladder truck for New York City.
Paul Efird/News Sentinel Archives, Paul Efird/News-Sentinel

Mayor Victor Ashe looks to see if anyone is home during a Mobile Meals delivery in October 1993. With Ashe is Richard Huffaker and Volunteer Ruth Stone. Huffaker, a 14-year-old student from Washington Academy, wants to be mayor of Knoxville some day and followed Ashe all day to learn about his volunteer work. Clay Owen/News Sentinel Archives,

Mayor Victor Ashe serves as crossing guard at Sequoyah Hills Elementary School in December 1997. The task is one of the duties for parents with children at the school. Clay Owen/News Sentinel Archives,

Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe makes his official announcement for his reelection campaign at Fountain City Park while accompanied by son J. Victor in August 10, 1995. Byron E. Small/News Sentinel Archives,

Mayor Victor Ashe, other elected officials, and fire fighters walk along Papermill Dr. in September 1991 after the closing of Knoxville Fire Department Station #18 to be moved their new facility on Weisgarber Rd. The old station was demolished for the construction of the new I-40 exit at Papermill Rd. Jack Kirkland/News Sentinel Archives,

Mayor Victor Ashe packs away memorabilia in his office in 2003 at the City County Building. Ashe has 12 days remaining in his 16 year run as Knoxville's chief executive. He will preside over his last regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council tomorrow. Paul Efird/News Sentinel Archives,

In other words, council had made it clear the mayor had to do it if it was going to be done. They were not going to touch it. After researching the city charter, my law director discovered the mayor could appoint a review board without council approval. After privately advising council that I would take this route, I announced it at a public City Council meeting held at Ridgedale Elementary School. In those days council met six times a year outside the City County Building for its regular meetings in each of the six council districts.

The council members opposed to my action did not publicly criticize me at the time. Police Chief Phil Keith worked with me to implement it in a way it would succeed.

However, as helpful as PARC turned out to be in resolving disputes, the installation of video and audio equipment in police cruisers was very important in resolving issues where only two people were present and both had opposite stories on what they believed happened. When the actual episode is on tape or film, it removes all doubt.

Michele and Carolyn Jameson address the members of the Police Advisory and Review Committee during their quarterly meeting on Thursday, July 7, 2017 to address their concerns regarding an incident when their daughter, Tonya Jameson, was held at gunpoint by Knoxville Police Department Officer Matthew Janish while she was changing the license plate to a car she recently purchased. SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL

Knoxville police chief David Rausch meets with Tonya Jameson and her parents Michele and Carolyn Jameson after the Police Advisory and Review Committee meeting on Thursday at the City County Building. SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL

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It is reassuring that the panel has lasted 20 years. In fact, two years after its creation, City Council unanimously established this by ordinance. It has ceased to be a contentious issue.

Candidates favor more public access at TVA

Both major party congressionalcandidates, Republican Tim Burchett and Democrat Renee Hoyos, favor TVA opening up board committee meetings to the public. While currently the full board of TVA meets in public and citizens may address it, the committee meetings – where much of the real work is done – are held behind closed doors. Burchett even has his pledge listed as an issue on his campaign website.

Hoyos in her prior line of work as executive director of the Clean Water Network has favored more transparency for TVA. Rep. John J. Duncan, who has opposed high salaries for TVA top personnel, has never taken a position on the issue of committee meetings being open.

Burchett over the years has been a strong proponent of openness in government. As county mayor, he urged County Commission, and Commission agreed, to allow citizens to use their mobile phones to take photos of public records, thereby cutting costs to the public. UT, for example, refuses to let the public use a camera or mobile phone to take photos of public records in its possession.

With either Burchett or Hoyos in Congress, TVA for the first time ever will have a Tennessee representative who favors open committee meetings and is willing to advocate for it. TVA in the past has been able to keep this issue under the rug as it was confident Congress would not act for more sunshine on its actions.

An interesting program

On Thursday, Sept. 27, at noon at the East Tennessee History Center. Jack Neely will talk about the Second Congressional District and its unique history. Learn more about it at KNOXLIB.ORG/Democracy.

If the Democrats in the state Senate remain at five members out of 33, there will be four women and one man, which would be a first for one party to be majority female. They will have to elect a new leader as Lee Harris, current leader, became mayor of Shelby County on Sept. 1. He resigned from the Senate.

Sen. Jeff Yarbro said there were four state Senate seats he felt Democrats had a shot at winning this year. Republicans claim that is wishful thinking. My guess is that they might win one Senate seat but could win four or five in the state House, where there are 74 Republicans out of 99. Yarbro declined to say whether he wants to be the Democratic leader of the state Senate.

Birthdays

Sept. 25 – City Judge John Rosson is 71.

Sept. 26 – County Commissioner Carson Dailey is 59; newly elected Knox County school board member Virginia Babb is 51; TV food critic and former UT administrator Walter Lambert is 83.

Sept. 27 – City Councilman Mark Campen is 43; former city mayoral receptionist Jean James-Davis is 79; Dickson Grissom, former deputy city law director, is 75.